Fired Google engineer files complaint, weighs legal options

August 8, 2017MTNV Staff Contributor

This Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, file photo shows Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Google’s new head of diversity has rejected an internal commentary from an employee who suggested women don’t get ahead in tech jobs because of biological differences. The dueling memos come as Silicon Valley grapples with accusations of sexism and discrimination and companies like Google, Facebook and Uber say they are trying to change. Google is also in the midst of a Department of Labor investigation into whether it pays women less than men. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

A former Google engineer who was fired over a memo he wrote about gender differences says he’s exploring all his legal options and has already filed a labor complaint over his treatment.

James Damore, whose memo over the weekend caused an uproar online, says in an email that he was terminated late Monday for “perpetuating .” He says he considers his firing illegal because he had already filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.

The board declined to comment.

A filing by Damore with the board Monday alleged he was subjected to “coercive statements” while at Google.

Google declined to comment on the matter, but an email from CEO Sundar Pichai on Monday called Damore’s memo “harmful” and said he’d address staff in a Thursday.